I woke to my cell phone ringing. I looked at the bedside table. My head was killing me, my shoulder was sending so many pain signals I almost let the damn thing ring and ring. I picked it up, went under my blanket to block out the hurting sun, and croaked into the phone.

“Hello.”

“Thank God your still alive!” Shelly said.

“Hm.. why wouldn’t I be?” I asked still half a sleep.

“Well, last night. It’s all over the news. The papers.. good kiss by the way.” I shot up the blanket falling to the floor. I ran my hand through my hair as her mentioned a kiss. I looked at my naked reflection in my mirror. I always slept naked so that wasn’t anything. Last night coming into my hazy memory. “Just to let you know a few things. Jason is in the meeting room with Olyvia as it sounds as if they are fighting, it’s almost one in the after noon, and your extremely late.”

“Holy shit!” I exclaimed. “I’ll be right there.”

“Wait.. J….” I hung up the phone, plugged it in since it was dying and jumped in the shower. I towel dried my long hair, got a pair of black slacks on with a pink button up blouse. My heals and ran out the door without the cell phone. I got in my car and drove off. I brushed my hair as I walked up to the mansion door. When I got in Shelly was leaning against the front desk. I walked over to her as she shook her head back and forth at me. “As I was saying, Jason wasn’t worried about you coming in.”

“Well call it a half day then. So what are they arguing about?”

“That kiss!” She exclaimed as I went straight to the room that needed cleaned. It was one of the bigger rooms. I knew Jason was going to make it into a meeting room. He was trying to set up the mansion for business’s to lease each room to what they needed. Shelly was to work the front desk as he worked getting business in. I was just the cleaning lady… temporarily. “Look.” She said. I turned as She tossed a paper at me. I winced catching the paper. The man on the ground, being held down by one of the police officers. His arms protectively around me, his hand in my hair, as his lips were against mine in the most passionate part of the kiss. I shook my head tossing the paper down. “Come on.” She said grabbing my hand. “We are going to snoop.”

“What?!” I exclaimed.

“I am dying to know what she’s saying.” I shook my head. “I am hoping she is going to call it all off.” We went to the meeting door. She bent to listen but it wasn’t like you needed a stethoscope to hear her wailing.

“I told you to stay away from the little tramp!” I heard Olyvia. I sat on the couch outside the room with my arms folded, leg crisscrossed at my knees as she was yelling. Shelly stopped a snicker as she listened carefully. “You lied to me about going to the movies with Mike!”

“No I didn’t. I went to the movies with Mike. I had no idea Shelly and Candice was going to be there.” His voice was calm as he spoke to her.

“Then what were you doing with her after the movies then!? You should have came straight home!”

“She needed a ride to her car. Shelly twisted her ankle and I had no problem giving her the ride she needed.”

“What if that bullet had hit you! What do you think this country would think if they didn’t have a King anymore?!” He didn’t respond quickly as if he was hesitating. He seemed to watch what he was saying to her. I sighed looking away.

“Now that’s a question.” He said I heard his chair move across the floor, and his feet across the floor. He was coming towards the door. I stood the same time Shelly did. The door opened as he looked down at Shelly, then his brilliant blue eyes looked over at me. I looked away, my hands in front of me, as I turned to walk away.

“My idea Jason.” Shelly said as if she had to protect me.

“You!” I stopped mid walk. “Don’t you move.” He exclaimed. I didn’t want to turn and see his face. I sat back down on the couch as I was before. He slammed the door and then I heard him yelling at Olyvia. “Take your ass back to the palace! You don’t belong here, lecturing me! Leave that for when I get home! Understand?!”

“What?! I do not…”

“Get there, now! Say one word to the girls and I swear, Olyvia I will call it off!” Shelly exchanged a look with me as she sat next to me as if we were in front of the principles office.

“Remember that time we got blamed for putting soap on the walls of the bathroom.”

“Yea.”

“I feel like that now.” I nodded. The door opened and Olyvia came out. I didn’t look up at the Blondie as she walked down the hall way. Jason came out watched the girl walk off, leaned against the archway of the door, and looked from Shelly to me as I looked down at my hands.

“Pink is definite not your color.” He said low. I blushed slightly as Shelly looked at me. He pointed to the office. “I feel there is a conversation that needs to be taken place.” He said as Shelly and I stood just as we did all those years ago and went into the office. I sat in the chair farther away from the desk as Shelly sat watching her brother come around the desk to sit. His feet went up on the desk as his blue eyes moved from me to Shelly. “I think you should start.” He said to Shelly.

“What about?” She asked.

“Anything.” He said his arms moving in the round about way to indicate she was free to talk about anything she wanted.

“Get rid of her, Jason.” Shelly blurted out. Her green eyes that had matched their fathers stared back at Jason. The stubborn look on her face as they stared each other down. I moaned inwardly as I was not wanting to come in to this. I should have just stayed in bed and tossed the damn phone out the window. “She’s ruling your life in ways you would not allow anyone to do. What happened Jason? Loose your balls somewhere?!” I placed my elbow on the arm of the chair, my head on my hand as I felt the blush deepen. The tension in the room intensifying ten fold. “Father would be disgusted of how you let a female tell you what to wear, what to eat, where you can and can not go, who you can or can not see, needing permission to go anywhere. She needs to know what you are doing, where you are going! Come on Jason! Mother never did that to father. She knew better! If your King of this country you don’t let anyone to manipulate you anyway. What do you have to benefit to marrying her? Nothing! All you will get is a cheating wife and who knows what kind of kids she’ll have or even if they would be yours.” Jason’s once light blue eyes were now turning just as dark as his sisters.

“Umm…. Should I just…”

“Sit!” They both yelled at me as I went to stand. I plopped back down in the cushioned chair as the starring contest continued.

“She treats people like shit. She criticized our church. God’s house! What kind of christian does that?!” Shelly went on. Jason’s hand went back to his chin as he looked at his sister. “You can’t love the bitch! You’re a stronger person then that Jason. Last night should have shown that.”

“Last night, I almost lost my cool.” He said looking directly at Shelly not even taking into consideration that I was even in the room. She looked at him, slowly looked over at me as I shrugged. Then she looked back at Jason. “In fact, I did. I should not have done that.” He then looked at me his feet still on the desk as his hand still on his chin. “I owe you an apologie, Candice.” He said calmer then what he was talking to Shelly. I kept back the tears which promoted a hiccup. I nodded not able to talk as Shelly noticed how his words were hurting me. He looked back at Shelly. “I will take your suggestion into consideration. However I know you are telling me this because you are my sister. Make sure that tomorrows meeting is going to go according to plan. I have ten people coming in to see if they want to rent office space from us. Some lawyers, some just needing storage spaces for things that can’t get wet.”

“Come on Candice.” She said as she gripped my hand, making me stand and follow her out.

“Candice stays.” Jason said low. I jerked from Shelly’s hand to turn on him. My damp hair hitting my face as I looked fuming at him.

“Candice is getting these damn rooms cleared out so that Jason can get on with his work and I can get on with my life!” I yelled at him. “I don’t need you, Jason. I am twenty five fucken years old. I can get a job anywhere I want. I don’t need your families support anymore.” The tears seem to stream down my face as Shelly stayed behind me looking straight at her brother. He looked at Shelly then at me as he stood. “Don’t apologize for anything else to me. If you don’t want something, then don’t take it!” I turned hearing him walk across the room.

“Don’t you dare leave this room!” He exclaimed. I stopped, turned and looked at him as the tears ran clear.

“Or what? Come on Shelly.” I turned and left the room with Shelly fuming just as I was behind me. I went down the steps and to the room I was going to clean to begin with.

“Oh my God, Candice.” Shelly said following me into the room. “I didn’t think you had it in you. I think playing this Madam has gotten into you somehow.”

“He has no right to treat me this way.” I said still crying as I cleaned out the room. Stuffing papers in trash bags as I went along.

“Shh listen…” She said as I stopped. We could hear him pacing back and forth right above our heads. “I think you really got into him?” I shrugged.

“It was probably more you then me. He doesn’t know what love is even if it hits him in the face.” I said crying. “I just have this room then the library. This won’t take long. Hopefully I will be done before the wedding.”

“That was awesome what you told her earlier.” She said I chuckled.

“Yeah, Jason didn’t like it as he came out to explain myself. He has been asking me to since then. I am just not going to explain something that is so clear.” She nodded.

“To those of us with clear heads.” She sighed. “I am going to guess that bingo is off tonight.’ I nodded not trusting my voice. “Alright. I will call you later.” I nodded again as she left the room. I stopped cleaning, fell to the chair behind me and cried into my hands.

With that room cleaned, dusted and ready for Jason to renovate, I closed the door ready to go home to my nice comfortable blanket and pillow. I placed my bag in the hall way where Jason wanted all the bags at so that the trash man could come in and take them. He had it arranged where the man came in every day since I was cleaning so much. I looked up at the office room that Jason had set a side for himself. He was still in it and I could see his frame pacing. I looked at the clock above the front desk. It was five o clock. I sighed, turned to leave when his door opened. I felt my body shiver but quickened my pace.

“Candice..!” He called. I stopped, breathed in then out and turned. He came down the steps, standing a few feet from me.

“What is it, Jason? More insults?”

“No, how are you feeling?”

“Fine. I have the library to do then I am done.”

“Then what?” He asked.

“Then who knows who cares. Good night Jason.”

“No.” He moved towards me and grasped my wrist. “I want to talk to you.” I didn’t turn to him, took in a deep breath, and stood there for a minute before turning to him. He dropped my hand looking at me. “I’ve met someone… at the party.” He said his blue eyes looking at me. I almost chocked on my own saliva when he was so opened about talking about this to me.

“Go on.” I said folding my arms. “I will give you five minutes.”

“I touch this women and I feel… connected. Even her sarcasm turns me on.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I wanted to talk to someone about it. I know Shelly’s response but you are… not blood so you would be easier to talk to about it.”

“OK so this women has an effect on you. So what?” I asked pretending to be uninterested.

“I see her with other guys, dancing laughing enjoying her time. Being all beautiful and shining. I can’t help but to smile to myself. I want her so bad but I know I should remain faithful to Olyvia because she deserves it.”

“Jason, I think you know the answer to this yourself.” I said unfolding my arms looking at him. “If you can kiss me like you did, when you did… you both need to come to realize you can’t marry and be happy. Maybe this women had opened your eyes to that. Maybe that’s what that kiss was. A test to see how you would feel afterwards. This isn’t something I can help you with Jason. It’s something you have to work out yourself. Good night.” I turned. He didn’t stop me as I left the mansion. I walked past his car, noticed my purse and reached in for it. I went home, the tears rolling down my face.